“The PlayStation has become a household name, representing some of the biggest and best gaming experiences of all time. Its success and longevity is a reflection of the insight, craft, technical prowess and hard work of the team led by Kutaragi-san, the father of the PlayStation,” said Meggan Scavio, general manager of all GDC events.

“We’re honored to have Kutaragi-san present at the event, and heartened to recognise a true visionary that helped bring about an unparalleled era of growth in the industry.”

Kutaragi rose through the ranks of Sony as an engineer. His first games-related creation was the sound chip used in the SNES. Shortly thereafter Sony and Nintendo began to drift apart, and Kutaragi, as lead engineer, was central to the development of the very first PlayStation console. The PSOne was a groundbreaking bit of tech, the first console to sell over 100 million units.

Kutaragi also oversaw development of the PS2, which remains the best-selling home console of all time with 155 million units sold worldwide.

His reputation among gamers took a dip during the PlayStation 3’s reveal, thanks to the console’s hefty price tag and limited availability, along with a disastrous E3 showing and a comment from Kutaragi that gamers should take up a second job to buy one. However, the PS3 fought back from a bad start, and went on to rival the Xbox 360 through the generation.

The GDC Awards will be held on March 19. PlayStation 4 lead architect Mark Cerny will present Kutaragi with his award.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/01/28/father-of-playstation-to-receive-gdc-lifetime-achievement-award/feed/1Ken Kutaragi appointed as Marvelous AQL’s external directorhttp://www.vg247.com/2013/05/09/ken-kutaragi-appointed-as-marvelous-aql%e2%80%99s-external-director/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/05/09/ken-kutaragi-appointed-as-marvelous-aql%e2%80%99s-external-director/#commentsThu, 09 May 2013 19:52:48 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=365456Ken Kutaragi has been named Marvelous AQL’s external director, and will assume his new position at the end of June. According to a a Nikkei report, the former chairman, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment and “The Father of the PlayStation”, will help the firm develop its business further in Japan and in western markets. Marvelous AQL announced earlier this week its subsidiary, XSEED had been absorbed into the firm, and will serve as the Japanese company’s US arm. Thanks,
Siliconera.
]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/05/09/ken-kutaragi-appointed-as-marvelous-aql%e2%80%99s-external-director/feed/221st Century Walkman: Vita turns PSP’s dream to realityhttp://www.vg247.com/2012/02/22/21st-century-walkman-how-vita-turned-psps-dream-to-reality/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/02/22/21st-century-walkman-how-vita-turned-psps-dream-to-reality/#commentsWed, 22 Feb 2012 09:09:15 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=235315Vita has the power to disrupt video games wholesale, and marks the realisation of Ken Kutaragi’s vision for the PlayStation handheld. With the console launching in the west today, Patrick Garratt is weak at the knees.

Vita is the machine 3DS should have been, the only portable console Sony could have released without being irrelevant, and is clearly one of the most inspired pieces of hardware conceptualization since Wii.

It’s easy to forget how heavily Sony’s E3 2004 PSP reveal stunned the games world. PSP could never work. It used a proprietary disc format no one cared about and was stupid enough to go toe-to-toe with Nintendo and DS. Urban legend even has it that Ken Kutaragi drew up the draft plans for UMD in the back of a cab on the way to the presentation.

The truth is that PSP, 55.4 million units later, was merely the first stage in the realisation of a vision: Kutaragi said it was “the 21st Century Walkman.”

It wasn’t. PlayStation Vita is.

With Vita’s launchtoday we are seeing Sony make good on its promise eight years ago to deliver a revolutionary handheld device to video games. Vita is not “mobile gaming”. It’s mobile console gaming in a machine modern enough to fit into even the most connected of lives. Vita is the machine 3DS should have been, the only portable console Sony could have released without being irrelevant, and clearly one of the most inspired pieces of games hardware conceptualization since Wii.

I don’t know a single person that’s used one for a real period of time that doesn’t like it. The concept is nigh on perfect. PlayStation Vita is a high-end portable games console for the internet generation. I can sit and play games on a screen large enough to leave my eyes unstrained while flicking in and out of Facebook and Twitter in seconds. The games are, staggeringly, comparable to current generation consoles, and thanks to the pastiche of twin thumbsticks and touch interfaces an entirely new experience arises. You can touch everything, move everything. For gamers, Vita is essential.

The UI, again, takes the best from other mobile formats and cocktails it with PlayStation heritage to create something potent. As with iOS and Android, you have apps on homescreens, all of which are moveable, and the backgrounds to which are all alterable. Open apps can be reached by flicking off to the right. Play Wipeout and leave your Twitter app and browser open; finish a race, drop out to check Twitter, open a link, drop back into the game. It’s seamless, and Vita’s power means it never blinks at keeping multiple pieces of software running.

The variety of interfaces means you’ll switch from sticks to screen to tilt, and after a while it all feels natural. You hands start to dance. The opening games have obviously been designed to show off Vita’s features to best advantage, but the effect of playing something like Uncharted – in terms of technicality, at least – is a revelation. Vita has provided something new. Given our current position with creativity in console video games, that is something to be applauded.

The question of relevance has gone from my mind. Vita is relevant, and it will succeed. There is no other portable format in existence that can run Call of Duty or BioShock without you knowing by default that it’s a cut-down cash-in. Uncharted: Golden Abyss, FIFA and Wipeout couldn’t be any further from “mobile” on Vita. They are new, serious versions in major franchises, as worthy of excitement as anything you’ll find on PS3 or 360. After using a Vita for the past weeks, the prospect of playing a new BioShock game on it has me giddy.

PlayStation Vita is Ken’s 21st Century Walkman. It is a format like no other. It has the potential to disrupt core gaming wholesale, just as Walkman changed the concept of music consumption. What started Kutaragi’s vision for PSP becomes reality in America and Europe today. Be part of it.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/02/22/21st-century-walkman-how-vita-turned-psps-dream-to-reality/feed/49A-Men dev praises Sony’s improved development supporthttp://www.vg247.com/2012/02/21/a-men-dev-praises-sonys-improved-development-support/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/02/21/a-men-dev-praises-sonys-improved-development-support/#commentsTue, 21 Feb 2012 00:50:46 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=234849New-school Sony is much easier to work with than the old guard under former chairman Ken Kutaragi, according to A-Men developer Bloober.

“It’s great now to cooperate with Sony. When Kutaragi was in charge it was very technologically oriented,” Bloober creative director and vice-president Piotr Bielatowicz told Eurogamer.

“It was, ‘we create the best possible hardware and deal with it. Figure out on your own how to program it.’ For PS3 it might take two weeks for a programmer to just compile a demo. It was so hard in the beginning.

“Now, I believe Sony is more developer oriented. They reach out to us. They organise seminars to train us, to teach programmers and designers features like Near. The support is very swift. The communication is very good. I would say, at the moment, Sony is by far the nicest format holder to work with.”

Kutaragi was a key figure during the launch of the PlayStation 3, which is notoriously developer-unfriendly; development of new platform Vita has been spearheaded by a new team.

As a result, gameplay programmer Jakub Opoń said the Vita is “the best [platform] we’ve worked on until now”.

“The easiest one, the fastest one to start just making the game, not struggling with the hardware, with the software provided,” he said, describing the simplicity of the development kits.

“Vita is very easy to develop for. It’s much easier than Sony’s previous platforms. The hardware is much more popular. It’s the same type of hardware you can find in iPad 2, but twice as powerful. The core mechanism of working on the platform is the same. Sony provides a great SDK. The documentation is really good.”

Opoń said Blooper was able to port its entire engine in three months, and implied the ease of use outperforms rival consoles.

“I can’t say the names, but on some other consoles it takes a whole day, or two days, even, to even set up or build the game,” he said.

The programmer also noted that the Vita doesn’t suffer from the same problems with textures as the PlayStation 3, which can under perform in some aspects when compared to the Xbox 360 thanks to an unusual RAM set up.

“Vita won’t have this problem. This is a really good solution. It tells developers not to think so much about really hardcore optimisation,” he said.

“They can focus on making the game, and not strip the quality of the assets. This is really important. Our artists made some really good effects and we have no problems with game speed.”

Bloober’s A-Men is expcted on the PlayStation Store alongside the Vita, which Vita launches on February 22 in the US and Europe, and February 23 in Australia.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/02/21/a-men-dev-praises-sonys-improved-development-support/feed/3PlayStation creator Ken Kutaragi working on “totally cool” projecthttp://www.vg247.com/2011/12/01/playstation-creator-ken-kutaragi-working-on-totally-cool-project/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/12/01/playstation-creator-ken-kutaragi-working-on-totally-cool-project/#commentsThu, 01 Dec 2011 22:11:47 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=219578In the latest issue of Bloomberg, as reported by Gamersthirst, Ken Kutaragi is quoted as saying his latest project is “totally cool”. The Sony Computer Entertainment President and engineer was an integral part of every PlayStation console’s development, but retired to the role of honorary chairman in 2007 before stepping down to senior technology advisor this year. The engineer refused to be drawn on details of the new project, and suggested other members of Sony’s old guard might have something to tell.

Thanks, monu-mental.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/12/01/playstation-creator-ken-kutaragi-working-on-totally-cool-project/feed/6Hirai becomes SCEI chairman, House takes over as presidenthttp://www.vg247.com/2011/06/29/scee-head-andew-house-becomes-scei-president/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/06/29/scee-head-andew-house-becomes-scei-president/#commentsWed, 29 Jun 2011 07:31:17 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=183104Sony’s just announced the appointment of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe boss Andrew House as the president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment International.

Previous CEO and president Kaz Hirai has stepped aside from House’s new roles to become chairman. Current chairman Akira Sato will retire from the role effective as of August 31.

PlayStation creator Ken Kutaragi has stood down as honorary chairman from SCEI as of yesterday, but will maintain a senior technology advisory role within Sony.

SCEE executive vice-president and co-COO Jim Ryan will take over House’s role.

These roles are affective as of September 1.

“In fiscal 2010, we achieved profitability for the first time in five years as a result of group-wide united efforts, including continuous cost reduction for PS3 in which I first took the initiative after assuming President of SCEI in December 2006,” said Hirai.

“We are facing new challenges this year, such as the successful launch of PlayStation Vita and further growth of PS3 platform as well as expansion of non-gaming business. I’m confident that the skills and expertise Andy has gained over two decades working for Sony and SCE Group will contribute enormously in leading the PlayStation business and to bring new initiatives in managing the business in the networked era.”

“Since returning to SCE two years ago, I have focused on further expanding our business in the European/PAL territories and regaining our market leadership there,” said House on his new appointment.

“It is both an honour and a privilege to be named as President and Group CEO at SCEI. I believe there is huge potential for further growth of our business globally, and I’m looking forward to working with everyone in the SCE Group and with other groups in Sony to help achieve this potential by pursuing the creation of brand new user experiences.”

“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the great support from third party game developers and publishers and particularly to the wonderful creators all over the world,” said Sato on his retirement.

“Without the great content from a wide spectrum of genres made by third party game developers and publishers, as well as SCE Worldwide Studios, PlayStation would not be where it is now.”

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/06/29/scee-head-andew-house-becomes-scei-president/feed/14Kutaragi “gambled” with high tech PS3 strategy, says Maguirehttp://www.vg247.com/2008/07/25/kutaragi-gambled-with-high-tech-ps3-strategy-says-maguire/
http://www.vg247.com/2008/07/25/kutaragi-gambled-with-high-tech-ps3-strategy-says-maguire/#commentsFri, 25 Jul 2008 09:40:48 +0000http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/07/25/kutaragi-gambled-with-high-tech-ps3-strategy-says-maguire/In an interview with TechRadar, SCE UK boss Ray Maguire has said that Ken Kutaragi’s scheme of introducing PS3 as a high tech machine at a high price was a “gamble.”

“The gamble that Ken Kutaragi took with the PlayStation 3 was to put in a high level of technology, so it has been a bit slow to market in some respects, but we’re now seeing how people are starting to understand how the technology works,” he said.

“Historically, the installed base of any hardware platform has been proportional to its great gameplay, but also very attached to the RRP. That was the second part of Kutaragi-san’s gamble, as that hardware made the machine more expensive. But now we’re in the second part of the PS3’s cycle, and since the price came down, there has clearly been an uplift.

“We’ll go through the next part of the year without a price-reduction, but we’re committed to introducing the 80Gb PS3 here on August 29, and the £299 price-point remains. That’s why we’re short of stock at the moment – production of the 40Gb PS3 has stopped.”